A wide range of medical procedures involve placing objects, such as sensors, dispensing devices, and implants, within the body. The objects are typically placed within the body with the help of tubing, which is typically as narrow as possible, while having sufficient rigidity to be manipulated within the body. Typically, the tubing may include a braid for providing the rigidity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,995, to Steen, et al., whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a flexible tubing which includes a wall provided with a plurality of braided elements forming a braid within the wall of the tube. The braided elements are stated to include one or more signal transmitting elements and one or more metallic or non-metallic structural elements having structural properties different from the signal transmitting elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,437, to Johnson, et al., whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a catheter having electrically conductive traces and external electrical contacts. The disclosure states that each trace may be in electrical connection with one or more external electrical contacts.
The description above is presented as a general overview of related art in this field and should not be construed as an admission that any of the information it contains constitutes prior art against the present patent application.